The Metaverse Is Here Already And It Needs You
While organizations like UNESCO protect World Heritage Sites in the physical world, we need to protect the Metaverse just the same for future generations.
Yes, we’re all tired of seeing the word Metaverse. It’s literally everywhere and is as overused as the term web 2.0 was back in the day. But the thing is, the meaning behind the Metaverse is something that matters.
The Metaverse by definition:
The Metaverse, in a broader sense, may not only refer to virtual worlds but the Internet as a whole, including the entire spectrum of augmented reality (Wiki)
The Metaverse is already here. If you own a VR headset, work in XR or explore the internet, this is already obvious to you. When you build something immersive and social that has a greater impact, you’re adding to it.
Lately, there have been corporations trying to say they’re going to create the Metaverse or own it—many with significant stakes in industries like gaming, XR, and social networks.
If you think about it, that’s some seriously crazy, super villain-like thing to consider. It’s like saying, “I plan to take over the….internet.”
These companies may be the phone we use, the pipeline we see the Internet on, make our favorite game, or the headset we view the Metaverse from, but they will never be the Metaverse. It’s not about them.
The metaverse is the land of opportunity for us all
If you ask any levelheaded person, “Who owns the internet?” the answer is no one and everyone. You can have better bandwidth and costly subscriptions, but as a whole, access to the information online is a great equalizer. Savviness wins.
I know you’re tired of marketing and salespeople trying to leverage the term Metaverse. It works! It’s a shiny object, and it makes people click. As The Verge put it “One part definition, one part aspiration, one part hype.”
That said, there are many people and companies out there that believe in the value of the Metaverse, and they genuinely want to be a part of helping shape it. Me included.
I daydream about how the Metaverse is going to feel. The unlock there is haptics, which is something I’m deeply passionate about and keen to explore.
To anyone trying to take claim of the Metaverse, please stop. To all the people out there who call out the bad players, we appreciate you and need you to keep doing it!
While organizations like UNESC protect World Heritage sites in the physical world, we need to protect the Metaverse just the same for future generations.
